one is a gentleman named edward baker who is a friend of his. another is a gentleman named john hart. both of these men have similar qualifications, they are all about the same age, all three lawyers, former members of the legislature. similar qualifications. lincoln's first the convention, his county, they are going to nominate delegates to a congressional meeting where the nominee for the whig party will be chosen. you are an ambitious whig in illinois is your only hope to move up, you are not going to be elected governor or get chosen for u.s. senate by the legislature. if you are an upwardly mobile whig in 1843 this was your chance. so lincoln at the county convention, it doesn't go as he planned. at least one of the newspapers reported that if he had hung in into nightfall his supporters would show up later in the day, maybe outnumbering baker's people. as it stands, lincoln ends up at a convention but edward baker, his opponent, lincoln said it was similar to being the guy who gets cut out of a relationship, gets his girlfriend stolen from